New Start
by LoneWillow
Summary: Selene has always wanted to be a ninja, but couldn't. When she meets Kurenai after losing control of herself, her life changes. Read more...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any characters from the world of Naruto.

Chapter 1

Selene sat on the soft grass, her fingers playing with a fallen leaf. The light breeze was blowing through her long, black hair. The sky was dark, but clear and starry. As she silently looked over the sleeping village, she felt her heart ache a little. This is her home, but it felt like she wasn't even really part of it. Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Huge parts of the population were shinobi or kunoichi, or students training to be either. She bit her lip hard, fighting back the tears burning her eyes. She longed to be a ninja too. To protect the village and its people with pride. But she couldn't.

"You are going to be a great ninja one day." That is what her father always told her when she was small and tried to train with him. He was a great team captain. A well known and loved jonin. One of the best. He was away on dangerous missions a lot, but when he was home, he made sure to spend as much time with her and her mother as he could. She smiled through the tears now running down her cheeks. She will never forget the day when she showed her father what she could do, how she could manipulate her chakra to form thin threads that she could control with great accuracy. She was still young but showed potential. The pride in his eyes still shows up in her dreams, causing her to wake up crying so many nights. Another thing she will never forget is that fateful day when everything changed. She was five years old, bright-eyed and happy. The skies were grey and gloomy, the smell of a storm strong in the air. She was anxiously waiting at their front gate for her father, hoping he would be home before the storm arrived. But he didn't come home. He never came home. Her father's team mates were found dead, but her father's body was never found. After weeks of searching, he was declared dead, despite the fact that his body was never found. There were even whispered rumors that he could have been a traitor. Her little heart was broken. Her mother's once strong spirit was destroyed. The friendly, loving person her mother used to be, had disappeared. She talked less and less. She locked herself away in her room, crying day in and day out.

She watched her mother steadily become a shadow of the woman she used to be. The nights were the worst. She would wake up from her twisted and dark nightmares, frightened and alone, just to hear her mother scream from her own nightmares. It nearly killed her to see her mother like that. After weeks of broken sanity, her mother was taken away and she was handed over to her uncle. Not long after, her mother committed suicide and she was alone. Her uncle was a bitter, abusive drunk. After her father, his brother, had died, he started to drink more than he used to, blaming the village for her parent's deaths. He forbade her from going to the academy or even the schools in the village. He hired an old teacher to tutor her and kept her away from the village as much as he could. If she dared to break his strict rules he would swiftly punish her. She lived isolated, her only company the drunks her uncle invited over frequently. She chose to stay away from them, their idiotic chatter and violent behavior towards her scared her. She spent all her free time in the forests outside Kanoha, as far away from her home as she could dare without her uncle getting angry. Later she was forced to find a job in town. Her uncle did not like the idea, but the money her parents left behind was slowly running out, his drinking was an expensive habit since the drunks he chose to surround himself with rarely paid for anything they consumed. She started working at a small book shop when she was nine, getting her first real taste of life in the village. She loved her job. Not only did it get her out of her house in the woods, but she could teach herself from the books in the shop. She learned everything she would have learned in a school in the village, and more. She also got the chance to interact with kids of her age, although she didn't make any friends. They saw her as a cold and quiet girl, and mostly chose not to be around her. She didn't know how to interact with the children, and came across as detached. In truth, she was just shy and a little scared.

In her heart she held on to her father's dream. He wanted her to be a great ninja, like he was. She was determined to be exactly that, regardless of the fact that she wasn't formally trained at all. She knew all the technical aspects of being a ninja. She just needed to put it to practice. She taught herself how to control her chakra more effectively, with the help of the books she read. It had been ten years since her parent's deaths, and she was still as broken as the days saw her father's empty casket lower into the ground she buried her mother. She promised herself she would find a way to become a ninja.

She was suddenly pulled back from her thoughts to her surroundings by the far off sound of a dog or wolf howling. Her tears had already dried up, she has been dwelling on her past for quite a while. She stood up and sighed at the moon. "One day." she said to it and turned to walk away. Not far from her, to her left, in the forest, she became aware of someone, or something. She tensed up, not sure if she should pretend to be unaware of the presence or confront it. 'Reading about these scenarios and being in them is not the same thing.' she thought, still not sure how to react.

The leaves of a tree rustled, and she followed the movement of whatever it was, closely. It didn't seem to come closer to her, just hang around in the trees. She frowned. 'Is this even a threat? Or am I just being paranoid?' she asked herself. Just then she heard more movement, this time behind whatever was in the tree, followed by a yelp and then a thud. She froze, her left hand on handle of the small knife she always kept tied around her left thigh.

"Dammit Akamaru! Why did you stop? It's your fault I fell. And now I don't know where Shino is!" she heard a guy say angrily. She relaxed a little. She was sure that whoever that was, wasn't even aware of her, and she sensed no danger from him. She turned away and quickly entered the woods on the opposite side, heading home.

x-x

Akamaru gave a soft bark, as if to tell Kiba to be quiet. Kiba looked in the direction Akamaru was staring. In the middle of the clearing in the forest, stood a young girl, looking in their general direction. "Who...?"

"She's not from around here." Shino said next to Kiba. He jumped a little, he didn't even sense Shino. He was too busy staring at the girl. He had never seen someone who he felt so attracted to. And he never even met her!

Her long, black hair was slightly blowing in the wind, adding to her mysterious look. She was wearing a dark blue shirt and black knee length pants. He could see her eyes were bright green, and her skin flawless and almost milky. She seemed to him like perfection personified, although he never thought he would be able to think in such a poetic way. And her smell...he almost couldn't describe it. She smelled so...natural, like the air after autumn rain.

"...back, it's late. Kiba." Shino turned towards his team mate. "You aren't listening. We should head back." Shino's voiced interrupted Kiba's thoughts. He swallowed hard, for some reason his throat was very dry. He looked at Shino, a little dazed. "What? Oh, yeah, we should..." He looked back at the clearing, but the girl was gone. He sighed. Somehow he knew that he wouldn't be able to rest until he saw her again. He turned and went back to the village with Shino and Akamaru, his thoughts dominated by the black haired girl.

x-x

It was a bright, sunny day. Outside the book shop Selene could hear kids playing and laughing. She felt a light pang of envy shoot through her. She never knew the joy of innocent games. She shook her head and sighed. No point in being jealous about that now. She was getting too old to play such games anyway. She put away the last of the new shipment of literary books and sat down by the door in her favorite chair. The book on ways to dispell genjutsu she was currently reading was already lying on the coffee table with a glass of cold soda waiting beside it. She smiled slightly. "Thank you, Keanu."

A middle aged man looked up from behind the counter. He adjusted his glasses and smiled warmly at her. "Your welcome, Selene." He focused on his work again. A few minutes later he looked back up at Selene who had started reading the book, her legs pulled up against her chest on the chair. He had really grown fond of her through the years she spent working for him. She had actually become like a daughter to him and his wife. Too bad she was so insecure and rather unsocial, she was a pretty and very intelligent girl, and she could be driving the young men of the academy crazy while achieving her ninja related dreams, if only her uncle wasn't such a selfish idiot. He sighed. The girl didn't have it easy. "You know, Selene, I heard the academy is holding an open dance festival thing next week...don't you think you should go?" He was really hoping to convince her, she was in need of a social encounter with others her age.

Selene looked up from her book. "No, thanks. I'm not really into dancing." She returned to reading her book.

"Well, it won't be just dancing. I'm sure there will be a lot more going on. Maybe the young trainees will be showing off their skills or something. They like to brag, these young ones." Selene was still not looking convinced. "This could be a great way to see how you would measure up against them." He smiled when he saw Selene react a little. "You would be able to see what their capabilities are."

She put the book on her lap and smiled faintly at the idea. "You're right. But..." her voiced trailed off and her smile slowly disappeared."My uncle would never let me go. You know-"

"Leave that old wind bag to me. I will simply tell him you will be working late that night and sleeping at my and Amno's house. He won't complain if he thinks you will be working." Keanu smiled and winked at Selene, who looked rather happy. 'Now that's a sight for sore eyes.' he thought. She always had trouble with showing her true feelings.

"Why don't you take the afternoon off? There is nothing else to do; you already shelved all the new books."

"Are you sure?" Selene asked. "I don't have anything else to do, but-"

"I'm sure. Go and read your book by one of the rivers or something. I know you love being outside." Keanu smiled. 'He sure liked to smile.' Selene thought.

She stood up. Fresh air would actually be nice. "Ok, if you insist..."

"I do. Go." Keanu faked being stern, looking over the brim of his glasses at Selene.

She grinned at him, the action taking him by surprise. "You are not nearly as intimidating as you hope to be." She chuckled softly at his feigned hurt face. She left the shop and walked down the street, still smiling a bit. She was feeling uncharacteristically cheerful, but she wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the prospect of spending the rest of the afternoon at a river.

She walked leisurely through the streets, and when she walked passed the various food shops, she inhaled deeply, enjoying the smells filling her lungs.

She slowly walked passed the training grounds, trying to catch a glimpse of any students training, but she saw nothing or no one. Disappointed, she turned to go to the nearest river, a little ways into the forest next to the training grounds. When she reached the river, she sat down on the river bank and took off her sandals. She sighed loudly when her feet went into the water, the coolness soothing her feet. Her feet were tired; she had spent the previous night on her feet, serving her uncle and his drunken guests. She had to serve them fast, making sure they are barely aware of her. Whenever they were aware of her, her uncle would amuse himself and his guests by making her do humiliating tasks, or just smack her if he felt it was called for. She sat like this, with her feet in the water and laid back on the grass, unaware of the fact that she was being watched.

The person leaning with his back against a nearby tree sighed dramatically and loud. Selene jumped up from her comfortable position, startled. She tried to stand on the river bank, but her feet were wet and she slipped and lost her balance. She involuntarily squeaked. She thought how she was going to just hate being completely drenched when a strong, masculine arm caught her by her waist before she could hit the water. Surprised she looked up into a pair of brown eyes. The owner of these eyes helped her up by her waist and held onto her until he was sure she had her balance back. She cleared her throat, a little self conscience. Although she didn't blush, she was thoroughly embarrassed. The young man looked at her with a bored expression. "Are you ok?" he asked. 'He doesn't sound very concerned.' Selene thought for a second, but remembered that he did help her. She smiled awkwardly while adjusting her shirt. "Yes, thank you." He nodded. Not knowing what she should do, Selene nodded back at him and began to walk away. He looked at her, a little surprised. "You don't have to go. I don't mind sharing my spot. Provided that you'll be quiet and not annoy me." he said, putting his hands in his pockets.

Selene frowned at him. "Excuse me? You are willing to share this public space with me if I don't annoy you?" she looked at him with an arched brow and an expression of exasperation.

He sighed. "That's what I said." he walked away and slumped against the tree he was leaning against earlier.

Selene wasn't sure how she should react. Her social skills were lacking, but she knew how she felt and she was not going to keep quiet.

She walked over to the young man, an agitated look on her face. The guy had made himself comfortable on the grass, lying with his hands underneath his head, his eyes closed.

She stood next to him, blocking the sunlight from his face. He smiled lazily. "That's perfect. Don't move a muscle."

Selene frowned. When she realized what he meant, she got more than annoyed with his arrogance and rude behavior. "You are by far the rudest person I have met in a long time." She remembered how rude and disgusting her uncle's friends were, but this guy wasn't drunk, he was just arrogant. Her voice was suddenly cold and this surprised the guy. He opened his eyes and propped himself up on one elbow. "I guess you haven't met any of the other guys in the village yet. They are worse than me." He looked up at Selene. She looked really offended. He sighed again. "Look, uhm... what's your name?"

Selene was a little confused. This is not how she usually introduced herself, but she had to admit that she was socially really inexperienced, so she decided to go along with it.

"I am Kamato Selene."

The guy stood up an offered her his hand. "Nara Shikamaru."

She shook his hand. "You were saying?" She was still looking annoyed. He frowned. How could she be annoyed with him?

"Right...well, I didn't mean to offend you. I just unofficially took this place as my spot, I come here everyday and enjoy the silence and peace." He sighed. "You can stick around, since -as you pointed out- it's a public place."

"As long as I keep my mouth shut and stay out of your way, right?" Selene had her eyebrow arched again, her arms crossed on her chest.

'Wow, she looks really cute when she does that' Shikamaru thought. He quickly cleared his throat, as if to clear his thoughts. "No...just...oh, forget it." he said and walked to the river and looked up at the clouds, his hands in their usual place, his pockets.

Selene sighed softly, slightly frowning. This guy is really strange. And he claimed he isn't the rudest? She wasn't sure if she wanted to meet anyone else if they were worse than him. She just didn't have the experience to understand or handle new people. Taking into consideration her inexperience, she thought that she might have to avoid social circumstances as far as possible.

She turned and disappeared into the forest. Shikamaru turned around to find himself alone. He frowned, annoyed. "She disappeared! And she says I'm rude?" he exclaimed. He looked down at a small book lying on the grass. He picked it up, opening it to look for a name or address. "489 Shippou Street." he read out loud. He put the book in his pocket, deciding he would return the book later. Right now, he just wanted to sleep. He lazily laid down on the grass and quickly fell asleep.

x-x

Selene arrived home just before sunset. She had taken the long way home, traveling through the forest and taking in its beauty. Her uncle was standing in the door of their small house, his face was red and he was sweating heavily. When he noticed Selene he cursed at her. "Where have you been, you little tramp? Been hanging out with the scoundrel men of the village?" Selene knew the best response to his drunken outbursts were silence and co-operation, so she said nothing. He yelled a few more insults. She walked into the house, passed him and her throat nearly closed up, overwhelmed by the smell of liquor on him. He followed her and continued to yell at her. "You are late! I am starving and dinner hasn't been prepared yet!" Selene swallowed and tried to apologize. She had barely opened her mouth before he slapped her. She stood dead still, her cheek burning. Her eyes closed and she inhaled slowly. She fought back the tears of embarrassment. 'One more time, just on more time... just one more abusive, disgusting hand on me...one painfully insulting word...and I will kill him!' she thought. Years of being abused and treated like nothing more than a worthless slave had build up in Selene, waiting to erupt. The drunkard yelled another profanity at her, spit flying from his mouth. Her head jerked towards her uncle, her eyes losing any sign of emotion. Her eyes suddenly changed to a very cold and icy blue. The drunken man staggered back, he didn't like how her eyes had changed so drastically. She spat in his face, the spit landing under his right eye. This infuriated him. "You little...!" He lifted his hand to hit her again. But he couldn't. He couldn't move at all. His arm was frozen in mid-air. His hand was held in its position by threads of Selene's chakra. He frantically looked down at Selene. He was scared by her expression. She seemed completely void of any feeling. Her eyes were emotionless now, and she seemed to be surrounded by a light blue electricity, almost like the air around her was filled with pure energy. The man was very scared now, but still unable to move. His eyes pleaded with her, but she did not respond. She merely stared at him, grinning wickedly, her face cold and emotionless. Her mind had gone completely blank. Like she was not herself anymore. She shivered a little and moved closer, with each step her eyes growing darker and her grin taking on a more sinister look.

"Selene! Stop!" A female voice yelled from the door. Selene didn't respond, she seemed oblivious to her surroundings, only seeing her uncle, now her prey.

The red eyed woman ran towards Selene and grabbed her by her arm. Selene looked at the woman, shocked by the sudden presence. Her eyes started to lose its darkness, and the grin left her face. She fell to her knees, exhausted. The man's arm fell to his side and he rubbed it, cursing loudly. His arm was burned a little where Selene's threads had held him. "Thank the heavens you are here. That little bitc-" The woman sharply looked at the man and he slumped down, apparently asleep. She looked back at Selene, who was now slowly returning back to herself. "Are you ok?" she asked with genuine concern.

Selene merely nodded. She looked at where her uncle lay. Her lower lip began to shiver. "Did I...?"

The woman looked at the pathetic heap of the man. "No, you did nothing to feel bad about, don't worry." She smiled at Selene and helped her to her feet. She reached out to help straighten Selene's hair, but Selene flinched at the movement. The woman held her hand back, looking at Selene sadly. 'Poor child. So afraid, despite her amazing power. What has she been through?' She smiled at Selene. "Sorry, I didn't even introduce myself. I'm Yuuhi Kurenai. I was sent here by the Hokage, she wants to see you. It is rather important. Will you come with me?" Kurenai was not sure if Selene would trust her, given her anti-social upbringing.

Selene was still struggling to comprehend what had taken place, she couldn't remember much after the slap her uncle gave her. She looked at the woman. She seemed friendly, but in a stern way. She had red eyes and black hair, a slightly lighter shade than her own. Somehow she got the feeling that she could trust this woman. Suddenly she was overwhelmed by nausea and vertigo. She staggered back as her world started to spin slowly, then faster. Everything started to fade away into the rotating darkness as Selene lost consciousness. Kurenai caught her as she fell to the floor. She looked down at the unconscious girl. "You poor thing." she said, and looked angrily at the man still lying passed out. She stood up with the girl in her arms. She released her genjutsu and the man woke up. "What the-"

"Shut up." Kurenai snapped. "I am taking this precious child with me and you will not come near her again. Ever." She said this as she walked out the door. She didn't wait for a reply, and left the drunk with his confusion.

Kurenai traveled fast, even with the girl in her arms, and soon she was in the hospital, making sure Selene was allright. She was still unconscious but Kurenai smiled. This was a new beginning for the girl. And she, Kurenai, would make sure the girl's life changed for the better.

x-x

If this sucks in your opinion, I am sorry! This is my first try at fanfiction. I hope it was ok, though. I would like to continue this story, but only if someone actually *wants* to read more. Please review and let me know if there are interest. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer : I do not own Naruto or any of the characters.

Chapter 2

Selene slowly opened her eyes. At first she saw nothing but blurry whiteness, but as her eyes adjusted to the light, she became aware of being in a bright and sunny room. She realized she was in a bed and shot up. 'What the?' she thought, confused. She looked around her. She was certain she was in a hospital. She could smell all kinds of anti-bacterial, disinfecting aromas. She felt great, like she had been sleeping for weeks. Her body was a little stiff but she felt energized and rejuvenated. She focused her mind, trying to remember what had happened to land her in hospital. Slowly the memories crept through the her still foggy mind. The events that took place in her house shocked her a little. She had never stood up to anyone before, but she had to admit to herself that it felt good. Although she wasn't proud of how she lost control of herself, she felt a little more confident knowing she could defend herself like that. Admittedly, the red eyed woman had come at the right time. Although Selene felt good about her new found confidence, hurting her uncle would have caused her more guilt than he deserved to provoke from her. She moved to get out of bed when the door opened. The red eyed woman stepped in, and when she saw that Selene was awake, she smiled. "You're awake! Finally. I was beginning to think you will never wake up." She sat down in the chair near the bed. "How do you feel?" Selene was surprised to see real concern in the older woman's eyes. She shifted, a little uncomfortable. "I actually feel really good, thank you." She didn't make eye contact with the woman, she wasn't sure how to react in this kind of situation.

Kurenai smiled faintly at the girl's discomfort.

Selene looked away from the gaze of the older woman before a thought hit her and she frowned. "How long have I been here?" she asked.

"You have been resting here in hospital for around four days. Whatever you did with your chakra really drained you. What was that, by the way? It looked like a method a puppet master would use. We don't have that in Konoha."

Selene didn't know what to say. She realized that her ability was something that was more common in Sunagakura, but she could never understand why.

Somehow Kurenai understood that Selene didn't have an answer and she cleared her throat. "I bet you are dying to know why the Hokage wanted to see you."

Selene nodded.

"Where do I start? It's a little strange, really. Our Hokage, Lady Tsunade, was doing her paperwork when she came upon a very old case of a missing jõnin. Apparently she was sure she had seen the man somewhere, and she started digging around in the case." Kurenai began to explain, Selene listening intently. "That's when she realized you must be somewhere in the village. She figured that you would want to know that there is a slight possibility that your father could be alive." Kurenai paused, letting Selene try and take in what she just said to her.

Selene sat in silence, her mind slowly processing the news. 'My father...still alive? How?' Her thoughts were jumping over each other haphazardly. Selene frowned, returning her focus to Kurenai. She was eager to hear more.

"I was assigned to find you. It turned out a couple of students seemed to know a little bit about you and they helped me find out more about your whereabouts."

Selene's eyes widened at the idea that people knew about her. People she didn't know. She remembered the incident at the river and mentally blushed a little. Her face, however, didn't give away how she felt.

"We got your address from the owner of the book shop you work at." Kurenai continued. "I arrived at your house just as you...you and your uncle were in a...fight...do you remember that?"

Selene nodded, blushing a delicate pink. This time she could not hide her emotional discomfort. She still felt embarrassed at someone seeing her so out of it.

Kurenai's face took on a serious expression. "Your guardian - your uncle - is not someone I would entrust a child with. Your parents probably didn't bargain on him becoming...what he is. I told him you won't be going back. And you won't. I have seen too many good kunoichi destroyed at the hand of someone who was supposed to care from them." Kurenai's face betrayed her disturbed emotions for a few seconds, before returning to the cool and collected expression she usually wore.

"Well, now that you are feeling better, you should go and see Lady Tsunade. She can explain everything better than I can." Kurenai got up. She pointed at a closed door in the left corner of the room. "In there is a bathroom. I had the medical personnel put some clean clothes in there. When you are done cleaning up, seek out the Hokage's Office. I'm sure you will find it easily, The Hokage's office is located in the administrative section of the Academy." She smiled warmly at Selene. "I will see you soon." She left the room, Selene a little out of breath.

'My father could be alive. Is this really possible?' her thoughts screamed. She swallowed hard, trying to keep her emotions in check. Ever so softly, she started to cry, and then laugh. She had never felt this way. She jumped from her bed and looked out the window. She was sure the sun had never shined so brightly. She smiled the happiest smile in years as she took a quick shower and went through the clothes to find something she would be comfortable in. She finally decided on long black pants with beautiful silver embroidery and a deep red shirt that would fit her comfortably. She never really felt comfortable in dresses or skirts. She brushed her hair and started making her bed. A young woman entered the room and stopped her. "Hey, that's my job. You can go." She smiled at Selene and made up the bed, further ignoring the girl.

Selene didn't argue and left the hospital. She walked down the streets and felt a strange feeling wash over her. She wasn't sure, but she could be feeling a little happy. She smiled at herself. 'How quickly things can change!' she thought.

She walked by a food stall that she, judging by the smell, was sure sold ramen or other variants of noodles. As she walked, her keen ears heard small bits of the conversation going on between the customers.

"Is that really her? She does look like the girl Kurenai-sensei described..."

"She looks weak..."

"I think she looks pretty..."

"Guys, stop judging her. We don't know her."

Selene blushed. She hated feeling so self conscience. Who are these people talking about her? How dare they just assume they can judge who she is based on how she looks? She simultaneously felt embarrassed and angry. With some effort, Selene shut down her feelings again, her expression becoming cold and distant. This was how she dealt with unknown feelings and people. She would not attack or be rude. She would not shout or give death threats. She would just be quiet and distant. Except that one time, of course. So she stays away from people and keeps to herself. The sky had started to darken, the feel of rain in the air. A sudden flash of lightning startled a few kids who had been playing ninja. They giggled at each others' surprised faces. Selene walked faster and faster, eventually starting to run. Before long she reached a big, round yellow and red building. She assumed by the huge letters on the building that it's where she should be and entered, her previous happy mood now changed to somber and dark. After identifying herself, she was taken to a room on the top floor by a serious looking dark haired male. In front of the big brown doors she was stopped, and the man told her she should knock and wait. He turned and walked away. Selene knocked on the door, a little afraid of what she would learn behind these doors.

"Enter." A strong female voice said.

Selene opened the door and walked in. She closed the door behind her and made eye contact with the woman behind the large desk. Selene was a little surprised at what the woman looked like. Blonde with big, brown eyes. Her bust was...impressive. Not what she expected the Hokage to look like.

"Judging the book by its cover?" The woman asked, a hint of amusement in her voice. "Real ninjas know better than to do that." She stood up and Selene couldn't help but be intimidated. She bit her lip. The woman was right. She had just been judged and got upset, but here she was, doing the exact same thing. "I...I am sorry..."She stuttered.

Tsunade laughed. "Don't worry about it." She squeezed her breasts together. "I always use these two to my advantage. And I prefer being judged by people. That way, when they underestimate me, I can take them down by surprise!"

Selene blushed but couldn't help but giggle. This is really, really not what she expected from the Hokage. Tsunade waved towards a chair in front of her desk. "Take a seat. We have some serious things to discuss." Selene sat down obediently and looked at Tsunade expectantly. She had the feeling this woman was not fond of not being obeyed. The village leader's face was serious, despite her friendly attitude earlier.

"I trust that Kurenai told you what I think about your father being alive?"

Selene nodded, not speaking. The idea was still overwhelming. She was afraid her voice would fail her.

Tsunade cleared her throat, her attitude becoming more serious. She looked at papers in front of her, shuffling them a bit. "About two years ago, I was in the village hidden in the snow, Yukigakure. I was...well, it's not important why I was there. I saw a man wandering around, looking very confused and bewildered. However, before I could help him, he freaked out and ran away. It's like he was under some sort of genjutsu or suffering from the effects of a poison of some kind. I brushed off the incident and went to find a hotel to stay. Later that night, I saw him again, and I approached him. He was muttering something about the "moon goddess"...and again, before I could get anything more out of him, he fled. I never saw him again, or even thought about him. Until I saw his file a week ago. I recognized him immediately."

Tsunade looked at Selene intently. "The moon goddess...one of the names she is known by is Selene, if I'm not mistaken. Even though he was not himself, you were on his mind, Selene. I am sure that he is still out there, suffering from something that makes it impossible for him to return home. I know that you must be very relieved to hear that he might be alive, but Selene..." she looked at Selene with a serious expression. "...but don't get your hopes up too much. I could be wrong and he could be dead."

Selene swallowed hard. To imagine that her father could be alive...that prospect alone is enough for her. She silently made a promise to herself that she would find him, no matter what. He hadn't forgotten about her, and she wouldn't forget about him.

Tsunade read Selene's face like a book. "Before you decide to do something stupid and try to find him on your own, please consider my proposal."

"Proposal?" Selene frowned. This woman was smart, knowing what she was thinking. She wasn't sure if she liked it, though.

Tsunade folded her hands and smiled down at Selene. "Yes. I want you to stay here in the village and train as a ninja. I have spoken to Kurenai and she is willing to take you under her wing. You will train along with her and her current team. If your father's track record is anything to go by, you could be promising. And from what Kurenai told me of your abilities she witnessed, it sounds like you have some potential. What do you say?"

Selene gasped. Her lifelong dream was suddenly within her reach. All she had to do was grab it. And she wanted to, so badly, but her natural distrust couldn't be ignored. She frowned. She certainly did not want to be offered help out of pity. She hated the idea of being pitied. "Why? Why would you do this?"

Tsunade was a taken aback a little. "If you think I am doing this because I feel sorry for you, you are surely mistaken. I think that you could be an asset to the village and its people. You have your father's genes, and he was a great shinobi. I am asking you this because we could use another good kunoichi. So, what will it be?"

Selene was satisfied with this answer and smiled faintly. "I will do it."

Tsunade clapped her hands together in front of her. "Excellent. For the time being, you can stay in the small bed and breakfast guesthouse down the street from here, until you have started earning money doing missions. Then you will be able to rent your own place. I was a little over confident in my persuasion abilities so I had a room readied for you. Your room is one the first floor, number 5. Just mention my name to the owner." Tsunade handed Selene a silver key. "I have already made arrangements for your meals. There should be a warm meal waiting for you when you get there." She stood up. "Well, if that's all, I have a lot of work to do."

Selene stood up and bowed her head a little. "Thank you." With that Selene left the room. She stopped in the hall after closing the door. She suddenly felt tired. The news she just received was completely unexpected. She sighed a happy little sigh and went further down the hall, heading for the exit.

She heard footsteps from down the hall in front of her. From what she could hear, two people were coming in her direction. She tried to move into the shadows but they had already noticed her. It was a boy and a girl. The girl had black blue-ish hair that was waist length and incredibly beautiful, almost lavender, eyes. She wore her traditional headband around her neck and was wearing a cream and lavender zip up jacket and dark blue pants. When she made eye contact with Selene she smiled shyly. Selene could not help but smile back. It was as if the girl's smile was infectious. Selene's eyes went from the girl over to the guy. Instantly she regretted looking his way. As soon as her bright green eyes met his sharp black, animal-like eyes her heart froze for a few seconds and then started beating abnormally fast. He had spiky, brown hair and on his cheeks he had red marks that she assumed must be some kind of war paint. He had a rough but somehow still boyish face. He was wearing a black form fitting jacket and black pants, his headband was on his forehead. He flashed her a half wolfish grin and her stomach turned upside down. She felt her face turn warm and could just imagine how pathetic she looked. She quickly looked away and hurried down the hall. She found the exit and practically burst through it to the outside, almost tripping over her own feet. She was met with soft droplets of rain and exhaled loudly and inhaled deeply, welcoming the cool wetness on her warm skin.

' .hell?' She thought. She had never felt like this before. Was she sick? Maybe the day has just been too much, with everything overwhelming her. She started walking quickly down the street, her eyes eagerly scanning the buildings until she saw her destination. It was a simple white double storey house, with a well tended garden. When she stopped in front of he door, she forced herself to calm down, waiting for her heartbeat to return to normal. She noticed that her hands were shaking as well. She shook her head. She hoped that the meal that the guesthouse would give would include meat. She might be suffering from iron deficiency or something. She quietly entered the guesthouse and was directed to her room by a friendly old lady who seemed happy to serve her. "The Hokage arranged a room for you herself. You must be very important. I will bring your warm meal to you in just a few minutes." With that the lady bowed down quickly and Selene returned the action politely before the woman turned and hurried towards the kitchen area. Selene entered her room and was surprised by the beautiful room. It was a small room, but the walls were a light shade of grey that looked like fine silver in the sunlight. The large windows had light cream coloured curtains in front of them, allowing the few remaining sunrays to flush into the room. The bed was a luxurious looking king size bed with black and silver satin sheets and covers. In the left corner of the room stood a large wood drawer and to the right of it a door lead to a majestic looking bathroom. When she laid back on the bed, she couldn't help but exhale dramatically. With her insides still feeling like jelly, she laid on the bed, waiting for the food.

x-x

Kiba walked in silence next to Hinata. She glanced at him. He was unusually quiet. "Is something wrong, Kiba-kun?"

He looked at her and smiled. "Nah, just hungry. And I miss Akamaru a little."

Hinata nodded. She could understand that he missed his canine companion. They were always together, except the last few days. Kiba's mother had introduced Akamaru to a female that interested him and he disappeared quite often to 'visit' the dog. It annoyed Kiba a bit, but he let him go anyway.

"So why do you think Lady Tsunade wants to see us?" he asked, changing the subject. He didn't want Hinata to suspect he was actually thinking about a certain black haired girl.

"I have no idea. B-but I think it might be related to the girl that Kurenai-sensei h-had to find." she answered.

"Oh." he said, trying not to give away that his heart had skipped a beat. He tried his best to look normal, but Hinata looked at him curiously. "Are you sure you are ok?" she asked.

He blushed a little and smiled again. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Hinata nodded and they walked down the hallway in silence.

When they were almost at the Hokage's office they noticed someone coming their way. It was a girl of about their own age, wearing a red shirt and black pants. Hinata smiled at the girl, getting the feeling the girl could be just as shy as herself.

Kiba felt his heartbeat increase and he could feel the blood flowing in his body at a frenzied pace, making him feel a little dizzy. He felt himself start to sweat. When his eyes locked with her mystical, green eyes, he felt a shiver go down his back. He could do nothing but smile at her like an idiot. She hurried away and he cursed at himself. 'Idiot!' he thought.

Hinata looked at him, frowning. "Kiba?"

He struggled for a few seconds to concentrate on his surroundings and Hinata. The girl's smell had made him think of the forest and fresh rain again, momentarily transporting him to another world.

"Wha?" he mumbled, mentally kicking himself for feeling so silly.

"Are you ok?" Hinata looked at him, smiling but confused. She could sense his heartbeat has increased and that he was sweating.

"I'm fine. Let's just get this meeting over with. I'm starving." he said as he knocked on the Hokage's door and waited to be let in.

x-x

Thank you for the reviews! I really appreciate it! I hope this chapter was acceptable, personally I am not really satisfied. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed it!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters.

Chapter 3

Selene quickly ate the beef and rice meal that she was given. She was hungry, but also in a hurry to get outside. After feeling so strange, she wanted to get some fresh air as soon as her stomach was full.

After she ate she took the hairbrush that was in the bathroom and ran in through her hair. She splashed some water on her face, surprised by the slight red flush still covering most of it. She splashed more cold water on her face but decided it was a lost cause and that fresh air might be more helpful. She concluded that a visit to one of the nearby lakes or rivers might not be a bad idea and went to the door to leave. As she opened the door she nearly walked into the girl that she had seen earlier.

"S-sorry. I d-didn't know you w-were going to open the door." The girl blushed. Selene smiled at her; she just couldn't help but smile at the girl with the amazing eyes.

"That's ok. But I was actually leaving. Can I help you?" Selene noticed someone behind the girl and once again locked eyes with the guy with the wolfish smile. Her stomach turned again, but this time thankfully only sideways, while her heart felt like it was stuck in her throat, her hands slightly shaking.

She swallowed dryly; shocked that she was feeling like this again. 'Oh, god. What is wrong with me?' She shook her head and focused on the girl in front of her again. Maybe if she avoided the guy she would feel better, although she couldn't understand how or why a guy could make her feel this way.

"Yes...w-we were sent to meet you. L-lady Tsunade thought we should meet y-you before we start training together next week."

Selene frowned faintly. So this is the team she was going to train with. She felt a mixture of relief and stress. She liked the girl, and would have liked to get to know her better, but the guy scared her. Or rather, the effects he had on her, scared her.

"Oh, ok. Like I said, I was heading out, but I suppose we could hang out a little?" Selene suggested, avoiding looking at the guy.

"O-ok. I am H-hinata. This i-is Kiba." she pointed to the guy, who didn't look at Selene, he just stared at the ground at her feet and waved in her general direction. Although Selene thought he was rude, maybe even more so than that Shikamaru character, she was relieved at not needing to make eye contact again. "We have a-another member, Shino, but he is away on a mission at the m-moment. You will probably meet him next week."

Selene looked at Hinata searchingly. Why did the girl keep stuttering? She is beautiful and should, by logical standards, be confident. She shrugged and decided to worry about it later. "I am Selene. Pleased to meet you." Although she didn't offer her hand she did bow politely, which was returned by Hinata and completely ignored by Kiba, who seemed to find a spot on the ceiling much more interesting than the two girls. Selene looked over her shoulder at her rented room. There were no chairs for them to sit down on, so she suggested they go and get tea or something else to drink in the village nodded and agreed that it would be nice. Kiba said nothing. No surprise there.

They left the building and headed out into the streets, Selene silently following the other two. After the drizzle of earlier the sky was clear and the usual afternoon heat was replaced by a welcome, cool breeze. They reached a small diner and Hinata shyly suggested they could try the place.

They sat down at a table big enough for four. Selene sat next to Hinata with Kiba opposite of them. They ordered tea and sat in an awkward silence while drinking their hot beverages. Selene once again felt grateful for her long hair covering almost half of her face. Finally Hinata was the one to break the silence. "S-sorry, Selene. I d-don't talk much and K-kiba-kun is feeling a little sick, I think. He usually t-talks a lot more." Hinata smiled at Selene, her cheeks a light pink.

"I ain't sick! I just..." Kiba protested and glanced at Selene, quickly looking away. "I don't feel like talking, ok?" He folded his arms in front of him and stared outside the window, finding the cloudless sky surprisingly fascinating.

Before anyone else could speak, a blonde haired guy in a bright orange outfit sat down next to Kiba, his smile almost as wide as his face. He held out his hand to Selene. "Uzumaki Naruto. Future Hokage. Pleased to meet the new member of team 8."

Selene smiled, blushing. The blonde was more friendly and energetic than anyone she had met before. It made her a little uncomfortable, but she felt that she would like this guy. He seems like a pain in the behind, but with good intentions.

She shook his hand. "Kamato Selene." she said. Naruto looked at her closely, frowned deeply, then moved closer to her over the table. "Your eyes...are they green, or blue? I can't really make out the real color..." Selene backed away from him, his face was just a few inches from hers, his hands on the table and he was almost standing on his chair as he tried to get a good look at her eyes. She was not used to her space being invaded so abruptly. She was just going to start giggling – a very bad nervous reaction – when Kiba elbowed Naruto hard in his ribs.

"It's green, you idiot. It just looks blue when the sun is shining directly on her eyes." Kiba answered and immediately started to blush. He kicked himself mentally, for the second time that day. He did not dare look in Selene's direction, he was red enough already.

Hinata giggled softly. She wished Naruto would notice such details about her. She sighed softly, wistfully. Naruto sat back in his chair and glared at Kiba. "Who are you calling an idiot?" Kiba growled softly. "Back off, Naruto. Not today." Selene's breath caught in her throat. Did she like the way Kiba just growled? 'What the heck is wrong with me? Liking the way a guy growled? Really? How very primal.'

Selene's face did not betray her confused introspection. Naruto crossed his arms in a childlike manner. "Whatever, dog-boy." He stared at Kiba until Kiba grunted and pretended to find the sky interesting again. Naruto shifted his attention to Selene again. "So you will be training with Kurenai-sensei, eh? I think you are in good hands. Especially if Hinata will be taking care of you as well." Naruto nodded in approval at his last words. Hinata blushed again and for a few seconds Selene was worried the poor girl would faint, but she seemed to pull herself together and politely thank Naruto for the compliment. Selene looked from Hinata to Naruto and back. The girl was absolutely besotted with the blonde and he was either freaking blind or as inexperienced with relationships and feelings as Selene herself. A sudden sisterly feeling overwhelmed her. She had no idea how or why, but she felt like she wanted to help Hinata. Or at least help Naruto see what is right in front of him.

So...who wants to buy me lunch?" He grinned and looked from Selene to Hinata. The moment Hinata became aware of his eyes on her, she turned bright red. "I-i will, Naruto-kun..."

Naruto's grin widened. "Great! Thanks Hinata. Ramen for me, please!"

Hinata was silent while Naruto placed an order for his food. "What do you guys want?" he asked the rest of the group. Selene declined the food and Kiba muttered something that sounded like "...huge ass steak...". Hinata ordered a cinnamon bun, quickly explaining that she was not very hungry. Naruto looked at Selene again. "So when do you start training? I would like to try you out. See what you have to offer, skill wise." Selene smiled vaguely. She would have liked to train with these guys, they all seem rather capable. But she had other, more urgent plans. "Next week. But I'm not sure when I will be able to spar with anyone in a real manner."

"Oh. Well, you just let me know when you wanna. I would like to be the first to kick your cute butt." Naruto laughed at his own fairly feeble joke. No one else laughed, though.

Selene blushed deeply and Hinata looked at Naruto with a strange expression. The three of them looked at Kiba as he suddenly growled again. This time his growl was louder, with a distinct hint of anger. Without a word he jumped up and left the diner.

Naruto looked at the girls. "What's his problem?" They shook their heads, just as confused as him.

"Whatever, it is chow time!" he laughed and said thanks for the food. He did not hesitate before he dug into his bowl of ramen that was placed on the table. Selene looked on in mild interest as Naruto finished his bowl as well as Kiba's meaty dish and smiled his bright smile when Hinata offered him another bowl. When he was halfway through this second helping, Selene excused herself. She wanted to share the news about her father with Keanu.

"See you soon, Selene!" Naruto said with his mouth full of food.

"Bye S-selene." Hinata smiled. Selene waved them goodbye. She hurriedly walked to the bookshop. She was really excited to tell Keanu everything that had happened to her.

x-x

Kiba jumped from tree to tree purely on instinct. He was completely unaware of his surroundings. He was angry. Angry at Naruto. Why the hell did he have to make a joke about Selene's behind like that? But he was angrier at himself. He had made a big fool of himself. And he had left without eating. Great, now he was angry as well as hungry. He was now twice as upset. He growled again and kept jumping from tree to tree until he reached the clearing where he saw Selene the first time. He remembered her smell and closed his eyes. 'Why the hell does she have such an effect on me? This is going to drive me crazy!' he thought, her face flashing in front of him. This was so weird. He had been friends with Hinata for a long time and the thought of her never made his senses go completely haywire like this. None of the other girls in Konoha ever made him nervous either. He did not enjoy being nervous.

He sensed a familiar presence and smiled. "It's about time you showed up! I have been having a hard time without you, buddy. You should be ashamed of yourself, leaving me like this for a female!" He grinned at Akamaru, who sat down next to him in the tree.

He patted his companion's head and sighed. "I think a certain female has captured my interest just like with you, boy. What am I going to do?" Kiba asked his friend with a crooked smile. He was sure he was going to lose his sanity because of this girl. Akamaru gave a couple of barks and Kiba's eyes shot wide, his face reddening. "Akamaru! Humans don't just do that!" he gave Akamaru a traumatized look but then burst out laughing, the giant hound replying with another bark, his tail wagging.

x-x

"Wow Selene. This is just plain astonishing! Your father...alive? Just...wow. I think this could be considered a miracle, don't you?" The older man smiled at Selene over the brim of his glasses. "I'm so glad for you. And when will this training start?"

Selene's brow furrowed, her expression serious. "I'm not going to start training. Not yet."

"What? But you have been dreaming about this for years!" He looked at her surprised, his eyes looking wider because of his specs.

"I have to find my father first. Now that I know that he is alive-"

"Wait. Wait. You have been living with the fact that he might be dead all your life. And I know it's amazing that he might be alive, but are you really going to throw away this chance to realize your dreams for an "if"?"

"He's my father! I-"

"I understand that, Selene. But what if the Hokage decides that you are just a liability, running off like that after she gave you everything you wanted on a platter? You will look incredibly ungrateful. That's not the Selene I know. Definitely not someone your father would be proud of."

Selene glared at Keanu. He had a point and she knew it. She would be better off searching for her father if she was more experienced anyway.

She sat down in her chair by the window, sighing. "Fine. I'll wait...for now. I suppose training would be a good idea if I want to find my dad."

He smiled pleased. "Oh, by the way. Here." He flung a small book at her. "A young man dropped this off here a few days ago. Already made some friends, I see. Not gonna break too many hearts, I hope." He gave Selene a wink and she looked at him with a shocked and freaked out expression. "Don't do that, please. It's creepy."

She blushed slightly. "And I don't know what you're talking about." She put the book in the back pocket of her pants.

She looked up confused when he unexpectedly handed her money. "Your salary."

She took the money, not sure what she would spend it on. Since she started working, the money had always been given to her uncle.

"Go spoil yourself. You deserve it." He half-hugged Selene hastily with one arm. He knew she wasn't comfortable with affection. She looked at him with true appreciation. He was the closest thing to family she ever had and she was thankful to have him in her life.

He ushered her out of the store. She smiled at him, genuinely happy. Keanu was surprised by her behavior. She had rarely smiled like that in the past, and now she was smiling vibrantly. But he was delighted. It sure was about time her dreams came true.

She decided to go relax by the river again, this time intending to really read her book. When she arrived at the same spot where she had been the previous time, she tensed slightly when she sensed a presence in the tree nearby.

Shikamaru jumped from the tree, landing next to her. He gave her a lazy smile. "So you return. Is this spot really that great?"

She nodded at him, smiling and looking around for a spot where she could lie down and read. "The best spot for reading is under the tree." Shikamaru said, as if he knew what she was looking for.

She frowned. She supposed she should thank him for returning her book. "Thank you for returning my book. I didn't realize that I had forgotten it. That was nice of you."

He just shrugged and tugged his hands in his pockets. "That's alright. I actually just took it back because I wanted to see you."

Selene looked at him, confused.

He blushed ever so slightly when he realized what he had said. "I meant I wanted to see you because I wanted to tell you in person how rude you are." He smiled smugly. "Now that you are here...You are rude. There. Done." he walked away and went to stretch out in the shaded grass by the tree.

At first, Selene wanted to get angry, but she quickly realized that Shikamaru was right. She did sort of leave the other day in an offensive manner. She sighed. She had always wondered what it would be like to be more social and she had to admit it was more work than she thought, or cared for.

She walked over to where he laid looking at the clouds and sat down near him. "I am sorry I was so rude. I didn't really know how to react. I was embarrassed by the fact that I almost fell into the river."

Shikamaru chuckled at remembering. He looked at Selene for a few seconds then closed his eyes. "Whatever. I don't really care."

"Then why did you just make me feel guilty?" Selene asked, annoyed again. This guy really rubbed her the wrong way. She played with strands of her hair, as if to calm herself down.

"Because messing with annoying girls can almost be as much fun as shoji."

Selene wanted to retort with a sarcastic reply, but realized that it was exactly what he wanted, so she kept calm and simply opened her book.

Shikamaru glanced at her through one open eye. He was expecting her to throw a fit but she was quietly reading her book. He closed his eye again and smiled. Maybe she wasn't really as annoying as he claimed. Just maybe.

Selene looked at Shikamaru through the corner of her eye. She noticed him smiling and a thought suddenly hit her. Why doesn't he make her feel the way Kiba does? She studied his features. Shikamaru is handsome, she was aware of that. And she could tell he was really smart. But he didn't make her feel weird like Kiba did. Why did Kiba make her feel so...girly? What the heck does that mean anyway? Feeling damn girly. Was it a bad thing? She hoped not, because she was actually starting to enjoy the weird effect he had on her. Sure, it was really scary at first, but now she found herself thinking of Kiba a lot, taking pleasure in the quickened heartbeats and butterflies having a party in her tummy. She tried to focus on her book, but she couldn't. She kept seeing Kiba's smile and hearing his low growl. She put down the book and laid back on the grass, closing her eyes and enjoying the sunbeams warmly shining on her face through the leaves and the way her heart was once again beating at thinking of Kiba.

x-x

A/N: To those that actually read this story: I am sorry for the long delay in updating! But you know, life...I hope you enjoyed! =)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Selene woke up very early. She took a hurried shower and left her room in the guest house just before the crack of dawn. She did not sleep much; she spent the previous night reading the scrolls with all the related information on her new teammates. Hinata had really done her a huge favor by giving here these summaries. She didn't want to upset or insult someone accidentally by something inappropriate or stupid. And she learned more about Kiba as well, which she really appreciated.

She headed to the training grounds where she was supposed to meet up with her new team with an unfamiliar feeling of optimism and excitement. She was a little nervous about training alongside someone who made her feel the way Kiba did, but she just had to force herself to stay calm and clear minded. When she arrived at the agreed upon training area, Hinata and Kurenai were already there. They were standing under a large tree, talking under a large tree. Kurenai smiled warmly at Selene and Hinata gave a respectful bow of the head.

"Good morning Selene. Glad to have you here. Shino and Kiba should be arriving shortly. We will be doing some basic hand to hand combat training followed by an intensive tracking exercise. I know you don't have any real experience so for today you can just stand back and watch. I will give you extra lessons when the rest of the team is done and eventually you will be able to join in the team training."

Selene nodded, thankful to be part of any training at all.

"I see the new member is here." A monotone voice said behind her. Startled by the abruptness, Selene gasped and turned. She saw a boy, or at least, she thought it was a boy, with a green jacket hanging to his knees and a hood that hides most of his face, aided in this strange quest to hide his face by a pair of dark glasses. This person was taller than her, which intimidated her a bit. The way he spoke did not help to make her feel any more at ease.

He seemed to be looking at Selene, but she could not really tell. She was starting to feel uncomfortable because she could actually feel him looking at her. She held out her hand and smiled. "I am Selene. You must be Shino from the Aburame clan. Pleased to meet you."

"You know my name. That must be because Kurenai-sensei informed you of the team members." He shook Selene's hand softly but firmly. "Actually I did some reading on you as well as your clan. I think the relationship that you have with insects and the way you use it in battle is really smart. And cool."

If Shino was surprised or even the slightest bit impressed, he did not show it.

Selene almost shuddered when she realized three small bugs were walking on her hand and around her wrist. She held her breath to stay calm and held out her arm so the bugs could return to Shino, their 'master'. They stayed on her for a few more seconds before taking off and landing on Shino's shoulder and then disappearing into his collar.

"I'm impressed, Selene. A good ninja always try to learn more about the situations they are going to find themselves in." Kurenai remarked.

Selene gave Hinata a quick and grateful glance. Hinata smiled in acknowledgement.

"Why is everyone standing around like this? Don't we have training to do?" Selene saw a large white wolf jump out of the tree above them, followed by Kiba. He was smiling like he was looking forward to training. The wolf came over to Selene and she saw that it was not a wolf, but a very big dog. She patted the hound and it looked at her like it wanted to say something. Selene looked over at Kiba, but he was talking to Hinata. Selene felt a little hurt, he did not greet her, much less acknowledge her existence. He had said something that had made Hinata blush a near tomato red and smirked. He caught Selene looking at him and his smirk slowly changed to a mere smile, making Selene feel like she did something wrong. However, her heart still jumped for joy when he looked at her and her tummy made the weirdest summersaults. Before she could do anything else, Kurenai instructed the team to start their usual close combat training and Selene sat down in front of the tree, taking mental notes of their attacks and defensive moves.

Kurenai and Hinata faced each other while Kiba and Akamaru took on Shino. When Kurenai had 'defeated' Hinata and Shino pinned Kiba on the ground, they switched partners. Selene was surprised by Shino's speed, although he did find it hard to keep up with the canine duo.

Just before noon they had lunch and Kurenai discussed their individual fighting styles with her team. She told Selene to focus on finding her own style and to remember that it should be a style she is comfortable with, for efficiency's sake. Kurenai handed Selene two kunai and a paperbomb. "It might be just routine training, but a ninja is never without a weapon." After their lunch the team took to the trees. "Do you think you will be able to keep up? For today's training we will concentrate on speed and the ability to follow clues. You might not know much about tracking, but I think you will be allright speed-wise. What do you say?"

Selene smiled enthusiastically. "I can try."

Kurenai nodded and they took off, seemingly in no particular direction, except forward.

Kurenai explained to her team that they were to find an old man. She gave each a description of the man and Kiba and Akamaru received a piece of cloth with the target's smell. After they were sure they knew the smell, Kiba handed the cloth to Shino, sent let his bugs pick up the scent as well. He sent his bugs in every possible direction and Hinata occasionally used her Byakugan. Kurenai did nothing, as she left it all up to her team. Kurenai was in the center of the team with Kiba and Akamaru in front, Hinata behind them and Shino just in front of Selene.

Although she was at the back of the team and felt a little redundant, Selene did enjoy being active and was trying to absorb any experience she could. She followed them as they went deeper into the forest, not talking unless it concerned the target. Selene tried to think of how she could possibly be of use, but her inexperience left her lacking. She tried to just concentrate on her surroundings, taking in every tree and plant, every animal, every smell. Then something amazing happened. She found it possible and actually easy to determine, to a limited extend, what was in front of and behind her. It was like she could sense the things around her. Which made sense, because that is what ninjas do, ofcourse. She could not establish what was to her left or right, but she decided she would need more training. She just started to enjoy this new found 'power' when she suddenly slammed into something…muscular. She fought hard against gravity, but lost and saw the ground coming closer, fast. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the painful impact.

But it didn't come.

She carefully and confused opened her eyes and saw that she was a couple of inches above the ground. She realized something or someone was holding her by her ankles. She looked up and saw that Shino was also hanging upside down, his feet anchored to a thick branch by his chakra, holding onto her ankles. Selene felt the recognition of her stupidity wash over her and along with it came the inevitable and much hated blush. Shino let her go and she fell softly on the grass. He jumped from his spot and landed next to her. "You should be more alert because you could get hurt, or worse." He jumped back into the trees and Selene followed, hoping no one else had noticed her mishap.

Sadly, they did. Kurenai laughed quietly at Selene's obvious discomfort and embarrassment. "Stay focused." Is all she said. Kiba stood with his hands crossed over his chest, not as amused as his sensei. "You guys are wasting time playing around like that."

"Funny you should say that, Kiba. Because you are considered the playful one in our team. I was merely helping Selene out as she had almost fallen because she lost concentration."

"Who says that? I am adventurous and daring, not playful! Playful is how you describe a child or a kitten, not a ninja like me!" Kiba was backed up by Akamaru who gave a loud bark in agreement.

"Enough. You are all losing concentration now. Let's go." Recognizing the sternness in their sensei's voice, the team continued on their path.

Selene was glad she was behind the rest of the group, because the tears burning behind her eyes would just add to her already pathetic reputation. She strained herself to focus on jumping from tree to tree, keeping up with the rest of the team as well as using her senses to stay aware of her surroundings. 'How the hell do they do this everyday? So effortlessly?'

She noticed the rest of the team had come to a halt and she stopped next to Shino, waiting to hear what's going on. Kurenai and Hinata were in the next tree with Kiba and Akamaru just a branch above them. Shino pointed to an area to their left. She nodded wordlessly, focusing on the area. She sensed two spots of energy, or rather, chakra. The chakra closest to them was weaker than the one she could sense next to it. She frowned. They were supposed to find one man, not two.

"My bugs tell me the chakra on the left is from a ninja hound. Most likely an older hound, judging by its weaker chakra." Shino said, the rest of the team nodding in agreement. Kurenai stood in silence, waiting to see what her team would do.

"What are we waiting for? Let's get the target!" Kiba said impatiently. He was already getting ready to move when Shino waved to him to stop.

"We have to assess the situation thoroughly. Rushing in blindly would be foolish."

"Oh, come on! It's one guy and an old dog. They are way outnumbered. What's there to assess?"

"Kiba-kun, Shino-kun i-is right. We don't know w-what the target is capable of. We s-should try to find that out first." Hinata tried to say as nicely as possible, well aware of Kiba's stubborn attitude.

"Seriously, you guys underestimate me! I don't care what that guy can do. I am sure he is no match for me and Akamaru. And who made you leader anyway, Shino?"

Shino adjusted his glasses. "I am simply stating the facts. We should-"

"You are all wasting time bickering. Rather think of a strategy to take on the enemy." Kurenai interrupted. She folded her arms across her chest and waited for her team to get to a workable decision.

"I think if we surround the enemy and let Akamaru take on the hound we could have a good chance of taking them down successfully and with few possible complications." Selene had gotten so excited with the situation that her thoughts had jumped out of her mouth before she realized. "Uh, I mean, that's just one way to go…"

Kurenai gave her an approving look.

"I a-agree with Selene."

"Yes, that is a feasible idea, if we can surmise that there are no traps involved."

Kiba frowned. Although he felt really strange about the new member of the team, he did not appreciate the fact that she had a better idea than him.

"I will look for any traps. Byakugan!" Hinata's eyes intensified and Selene felt in awe looking at the legendary technique in person.

"Wow" she whispered.

"No traps as far a-as I can tell." Hinata reported after she scanned the area.

"Tell us more of your plan, Selene." Shino said. Selene stood silent for a couple of seconds. She didn't think her plan quite through yet. "Well…just…basically three of us move to the right of the target and three go to the left. Then we spread out a bit and make sure we have him surrounded. When we charge in Akamaru goes for the hound…that's all I thought." She blushed at her inadequate plan.

"I see."

Kiba groaned. "Can we go now?"

"Very well. Kiba and Akamaru, you and Selene take the left side. Myself, Hinata and Kurenai-sensei will take the right. Agreed?"

Kurenai and Hinata nodded. Kiba grinned, which was a positive reply. Akamaru took his place next to Kiba. Selene moved closer to Kiba mutely.

"Let's go!"

The team moved in their respective directions and seemed like blurs to the confused squirrel that happened to be in the vicinity.

Selene felt a sudden rush of energy and excitement at the abrupt movements and the idea of their target being almost in their grasp. She smiled to herself. 'This feels so…right.' She thought. She quickly followed Kiba and Akamaru, taking her place a few feet away from them. She sensed the rest of the team had also taken their places and were ready to move in. As if a wordless command was said, they moved in unison, charging to the target that was now in the middle of their circle. Selene was a few seconds behind, not used to teamwork or this kind of situation. But her adrenaline rush helped her to keep up with her team.

They landed on the grass soundlessly, except for Selene, who made a very audible 'oof' sound when she landed. She also misjudged herself and landed in dry ground, causing a small dust cloud to rise at her feet. Thankfully, no one paid her any notice as they honed in on the man sitting on a huge flat rock, a small dog sleeping next to him. The old man was reading a paperback book. He had a long gray beard and looked like he would break a couple of bones at the slightest touch.

Akamaru moved with lightning speed and was growling next to the dog before it even woke up. The dog opened one eye, looked at Akamaru and went back to sleeping. The man looked at the team lazily. "Well? Are you going to stand there and stare at me or are you going to try and take me down?"

Kiba growled. "Hey old man! We can kick your butt for saying that. Try to take you down? Ha! Do yourself a favor and come with us peacefully. I don't want beat up an old man."

Selene looked at Kiba in surprise. She had heard he had a big mouth, but she didn't think he was this arrogant. She noticed that Kurenai was missing. She tried to sense her chakra, but couldn't find it. She frowned. 'That's strange.' she thought. Her thoughts were interrupted by a surprised scream from Kiba. She looked back at him and saw that the old man had both Kiba's arms locked in a submissive hold behind his back with his left hand while his right hand held a kunai to Kiba's neck. "You were saying? Your mouth is way too big for someone so easy to disarm and take out."

Kiba laughed. "You haven't taken me out yet, you fossil!" he yelled and disappeared with a 'poof'. A log fell at the old man's feet. Kiba suddenly charged at the old man from the air, his kunai ready to slice at the old man's throat. Akamaru had attempted to bite the sleeping dog, but the dog had been too fast and was now playing a cat and mouse game with him. When Akamaru heard Kiba scream he tried to come to his aid, but the older dog took advantage of the opening and bit down on Akamaru's hind paw, hard. Akamaru yelped and went after the dog again. Kiba's kunai landed in the back of the old man's neck with a sickening sound of metal cutting through flesh. Kiba landed on his legs, crouching, and a very pleased smile on his face. All this happened in the matter of a few minutes. Selene barely started to feel relieved, as well as embarrassed at how she froze up, when she sensed an unknown chakra behind her. She turned around to see a black cloud had formed just above her waist. The cloud was in fact a massive amount of bugs, which were swirling around a kunai. A kunai that would have been inside of her now, if it weren't for the bugs. 'The old man Kiba had stabbed was just a clone!' she thought. She briefly met the gaze of the old man before he jumped back from the bugs. He smiled fiendishly. Selene heard Kiba curse loudly. She started to feel nauseous. The old man had the look of someone who wouldn't think twice to do disgusting things and enjoy it too. This is the kind of man she would not want to meet in a dark alley.

Hinata grabbed Selene by her arm and she was literally pulled from her thoughts. They quickly fled a few feet away, closer to the rest of their team.

"Are you allright?" Hinata looked closely at Selene for any sign of wounds.

Selene shook her head. "I am ok, thanks to Shino. Where is Kurenai-sensei? I couldn't find her chakra earlier."

Hinata looked over to where the old man was. He was now dodging aimed attacks from the bugs with surprising agility. Shino was close to them, occupied with ordering his bugs into attack. Kiba was with Akamaru, they were actually having a tough time with the older dog, which seemed to have them out powered, old as it was.

"I don't know. I can't find her w-with my Byakugan either. I don't know what is going on. We weren't supposed to get confrontational like this."

Selene tried to find Kurenai's chakra again, but instead she sensed the old man's chakra behind her and Hinata.

"Behind us!" she yelled, turning and pulling a kunai from her pocket. The old man stood in a fighting stance, juggling his kunai from his left hand to his right hand and back again. Selene couldn't be sure, but it felt like his chakra had somehow increased since the fight had started.

"Who's first? Who wants to taste my steel?" he asked and sneered.

Hinata frowned. "You a-aren't what you p-pretend to be. Your chakra l-levels have increased. Just who a-are you?"

The old man chuckled. "Clever aren't you? Let's see how smart you are with your guts lying on ground!" His eyes grew wide with a crazed expression as he lunged at Hinata. Selene felt a strange mixture of fear and anger. This crazy freak was going to hurt Hinata. Hinata who had been nothing but friendly and nice to her. That familiar adrenaline rush came over Selene again, this time intensified by her emotions. She felt her body spring into action with no real rational thought behind her movements. She didn't know how she would do it, but she knew she had to protect her friend. She leapt in the air, kunai extended and aimed at his face. He saw her coming and quickly side stepped her attack. She missed him by a few inches and he took the opportunity to attack her. His kunai sliced through her left arm and she fell to the ground, holding her injured arm.

"Selene!" Hinata yelled and the old man turned to her. "I was just about to gut you, wasn't I? Well, then…"

Hinata stared at the old man in horror. She knew she had to defend herself and she knew how, but her body had gone numb. She trembled. "Hinata, move!" Kiba screamed from where he was and Hinata seemed to come to life. She jumped backwards and took a defensive stance.

The old man chuckled again as he charged at Hinata. Shino's bugs seemed to come from beneath the ground and at a great speed as they flew towards the old man. He jumped and dodged with such speed it was hard to believe that he was an old man. The bugs drove the old man a few feet away from Hinata and Selene. Selene stood up and hurried to Hinata's side, taking a defensive position.

"A-are you ok? You are bleeding."

Selene took her hand away from the cut that she was keeping closed. It didn't seem like a very deep cut but was bleeding a good amount. "I will be fine, just have to stop this bleeding." She tore a piece of her shirt off and Hinata tied it around the wound. She looked over to where Kiba and Akamaru were still trying to take down the older dog. "Shino is doing a good job keeping the old guy busy, but we need a better plan. We can't keep defending, we need to attack."

Hinata nodded in agreement. "But w-what do we do? He is v-very fast and his chakra is more t-than we expected."

Selene's brows furrowed deeply. "I don't know. Dammit."

Shino was still ordering his bugs into different directions, trying to catch the old man off guard when he seemed to disappear. For a few minutes the only sound heard was the canines trying to get at each other's throats. Hinata, Selene and Shino looked around anxiously.

"Where did he go?!" Selene's mind was becoming clouded with fear.

The old man appeared out of nowhere, behind Shino. Before the girls could warn him, the old man kicked him between his shoulders, sending him flying a couple of feet through the air. He landed with a thud. Selene and Hinata ran to his aid, but the old man intersected them.

"Not so fast." He grinned at them. "I am going to finish you now."

He ran towards Hinata, his arm drawn back, kunai in hand. He aimed at Hinata's chest, but at the last moment changed method and kicked her in her stomach instead. She was trying to block his kunai attack at her chest and did not expect his kick. She went flying through the air, but managed to curl her body just before impact, rolling on the ground before coming to a stop. She did not get up.

"No!" Selene felt the dread built up in her stomach. Shino had slowly started to stand up, but seemed confused. Hinata was lying still.

The old man laughed at Selene's worried expression. "Don't worry; you can meet up with your little friend in the afterlife." His eyes shot wide and had a fanatic expression as he lunged at Selene.


	5. Chapter 4 Continued

Chapter 4 Continued

Selene refused to believe that Hinata was dead.

'There is no way. There is just no way.'

"NO!" Selene shrieked, panic and fear evident in her voice. She closed her eyes for a second and concentrated her chakra in her hands. She could feel her chakra moving into her hands, slowly at first, then more rapidly.

The air around Selene seemed to crackle as her chakra erupted from her hands in what looked like thick ropes. She managed to direct her 'chakra ropes' towards the astonished old man, grabbing him by his wrists and lifting him in the air. She kept him suspended in the air before she hurled him, sending him crashing into a bush a few feet away. She didn't let go of him yet, and pulled him back with her chakra, his feet dragging on the ground. She lifted him into the air again and once again sent him flying. This time she let go and he fell into a tree that was close to the center of the area. She fell to her knees, almost completely drained. Hinata grabbed her arm and flung it around her neck, dragging Selene to where Shino was. Selene looked at Hinata with enormous relief.

"You're…ok…that's good." She said.

Hinata smiled softly and put her down gently. Shino was looking a little better, but he looked like he had injured his left ankle or foot. He was limping badly.

The old dog was still being chased by Akamaru and Kiba, but the canine duo had been slowly cornering it, and finally when Akamaru had pounced on the much smaller dog, Kiba tied it up with a strong rope. He also tied a chain around it, as an added measure. Selene noted to herself that she would like to ask Kiba where the hell he got a chain when they were back home.

If they got back home.

The realization that someone, if not all of them, could possibly get hurt real bad, even killed, hit Selene like a steel fist in her gut. She looked up from where Hinata had helped her sit down against the rock where the old man had sat. Shino did not look it, but she could sense the slightest hint of alarm in his voice. "Are you allright? You seem worn out." Selene frowned at Shino. 'Why does he feel the need to point out the obvious?' she thought, but said nothing. She tried to sit up instead, but couldn't. She was drained. "I'll be ok. You saved my butt back there with the bugs. Thank you. I owe you, big time."

"I imagine you would do the same for me, were the roles reversed. As you did for Hinata."

Kiba put the smaller dog down next to Selene. It seemed to her that the hound gave up fairly easily, not even trying to struggle against its restraints. Akamaru sat down next to it, guarding it.

"Rookies! You stand there chatting like you're on a picnic?! You will pay for your mistake with your LIVES!" The older man had recovered from his beating surprisingly fast and was throwing a huge amount of kunai at the youngsters while he ran towards them. Shino's bugs managed to take the impact of most of the kunai, but some came hurling at Selene and Shino. Shino managed to deflect several kunai that would have caused serious injury with his own, but Selene wasn't fast enough to react. She waited for the pain, but felt nothing. For the second time she slowly opened her eyes, confused. She looked into Kiba's sharp black eyes. He stood over her and grinned. "Now you owe me too." She stared at him with surprise and shock. He had a kunai in his left shoulder and another in his right thigh. He had jumped in front of her before the weapons could hit her, hitting him instead.

"...Kiba..." She didn't know what to say, but there was no time for words anyway. The old dog next to Selene disappeared with a 'poof', replaced by a piece of wood.

"Substitution jutsu!" Kiba yelled and looked around for the real dog. Akamaru had jumped up and was sniffing the air frantically. He picked up the scent he was looking for and barked at Kiba.

"Yeah, I smell it. Little bastard!" Kiba grabbed the kunai from his shoulder with a growl. He reached for the one in his thigh.

"No Kiba-kun! That one is t-too deep! You will cause permanent d-damage if you just take it out."

Kiba frowned. "Fine. I'll just have to fight that bastard mutt like this. Come on, Akamaru. No one gets away with making fools of us like that!"

Before Shino could warn Kiba to be cautious he and Akamaru were gone.

"Dammit." Shino's voice was still monotonous, but seemed to carry an urgent ring to it.

The old man appeared behind Hinata and aimed a kunai at her ribs, but she was waiting for this opportunity and she dodged his attack and counter attacked with lightning fast speed. She managed to land two blows to the enemy's chest before she had to jump out of the way of his fire jutsu attack.

Shino's bugs attacked the older man from his left but he managed to jump out of their reach. However, Hinata's attacks had the effect she wanted, because the old man clutched his chest in the area where Hinata had hit him. Taking advantage of the opening in his defenses, Shino sent his bugs in again. This time many of them landed on the old man and started feeding off his chakra.

After a couple of minutes of being completely engulfed by the bugs, the old man fell on the ground lifelessly. Selene shuddered. The bugs had wasted no time. When Shino was satisfied, he wordlessly called his bugs back. Hinata seemed tired but pleased when she used her Byakugan to make sure the old man was incapacitated. She turned to Shino and Selene. "Your bugs have sufficiently drained his chakra, Shino-kun. He is alive, b-but powerless."

Shino nodded in agreement. "Yes. We need him alive because-"

"Ah, no way! You guys are all done? I so wanted to take down that old bastard." Kiba was riding on Akamaru's back, with the old dog tied up in the same way that it was previously. "Hinata, I am pretty sure this time we got the real one, but would you make sure?"

Hinata gave the dog a once-over with her Byakugan and confirmed it was the real, living one.

"Thought so." Kiba smiled triumphantly.

Selene stood up slowly. "We should probably tie up this one too." she said, pointing to the crazy old man. "And we need to find Kurenai-sensei. She seems to have disappeared just before the fight."

"There will be no need for that."

Kurenai jumped from a tree to the left of the group and landed next to the old man. She looked down at him. "I never expected you guys to be this capable. I am very proud of you. All of you showed how much potential you have."

"What are you talking about, sensei? Are you saying this was some sort of test?" Kiba was still sitting on Akamaru, the kunai in his thigh had become too painful for him to use his leg.

Kurenai nodded.

"But then...w-who is the old m-man?"

Everyone looked down at the figure lying lifelessly on the ground.

"Oh, him? Well, someone who owed me a favor. He should be waking up anytime now."

She kicked the old man in the ribs and he started coughing. He slowly stood up and dusted his clothes. He looked at Kurenai with a sour and resentful expression. With a sudden 'poof' and some white clouds, the old man was gone and instead in front of them stood a sturdy, tanned, younger man with black hair and a beard. He was older than the team, but definitely younger than their opponent from minutes ago. He laughed at their flabbergasted expressions and lit a cigarette.

"Well, that was not fun." He said, looking at the young team. "You guys really went all out." He rubbed his wrists, shooting Selene a bitter glance. "Chakra can actually burn skin, I would have you know."

Selene blushed. She felt good about their victory, but now that she knew there never was a crazy old man, she felt a little guilty as well.

"You did good, Asuma. Thank you." Kurenai gave his wounds an apathetic look. "These kids almost beat you up." She said in a mocking tone.

"I think we are just about even now, wouldn't you?" he said to her, ignoring her previous remark.

She gave him a devious smile. "Maybe. Or maybe I might need to call on you again in the near future. Who knows, really?"

Asuma sighed and his shoulders sagged. "You…" With that he disappeared.

Kurenai stood with a lingering smile staring at the spot where Asuma stood a few seconds ago. She turned to her team again. Hinata had a small cut above her nose and on her left cheek, Shino had a badly bruised ankle, but they would be fine. Selene's arm had a cut and a couple of bruises. They seemed tired and sore, but satisfied. Kiba seems the worst off, but she knew he would not admit to it.

"Well, training is over for today. You did well. You can all go home and rest knowing you did me proud. Ofcourse, you all need to go to hospital and get treated first."

She frowned. "Kiba, you are in a team. That means you don't go off and play hero and leave the others to fend for themselves. Understood?"

Kiba let his head hang. He seemed really ashamed. "Yes, Kurenai-sensei."

"I have a question." Shino looked stoic, but something about him seemed worried. "How were we able to defeat Asuma so easily?"

Selene frowned at Shino. 'He thinks that was easy?!'

Kurenai smiled knowingly. "Good question, Shino. Asuma knew what I wanted to happen here today. So he came prepared. Although I think he overdid it a bit with the 'crazy old man' thing, he did do exactly what I wanted him to. He showed you how bad it can get out there. There really are weird and merciless characters who wouldn't hesitate to kill. Asuma found a way to hide most of his chakra, which is why your bugs didn't take long to drain him. Granted, if this was a real fight, you would have had a much harder time, but I only wanted you to learn about improvising and working together under pressure. However, he did not hold back on close combat, so you really have reason to be proud of yourselves. You made some mistakes, but we can work on that. One thing to remember is that when in a fight, there is no time for talking unless it's for strategy. You can be grateful later for saving each other's skins."

Selene blushed again. She knew she was at fault.

Kurenai looked closely at her team. "I wanted you to see that things rarely go according to plan when you are on a mission. Even a routine mission could take a turn for the worst. It is in everyone's best interest to be prepared for anything. Sticking to the plan and following orders is vital. Today you learned the importance of teamwork."

"But we already know all that stuff." Kiba said.

"Yes, but you still made mistakes. And I wanted Selene to learn that as well." Kurenai explained.

Shino adjusted his glasses. Selene was starting to think he did that when irritated or deep in thought.

"I see. That means I have to train my bugs to pick up any hidden chakra. Because the enemy would most likely plan ahead like Asuma-sensei did today."

Kurenai nodded.

"I am glad you want to improve. It is vitally important for a ninja to always work at becoming better. There will always be someone who is faster, stronger, better. Never think that you are good enough."

Selene realized something and frowned. "Where were you the whole time, Kurenai-sensei?"

"So you noticed?" Kurenai laughed. "I cast a genjutsu, concealing myself and my chakra. Do you see how important it is to genjutsu and counter measures for it? An enemy can easily fool you if you don't know the sign of a genjutsu. We will focus more on that later."

Selene nodded.

"Well, let's get you lot treated, shall we? Afterwards, we can get something to eat. My treat." Despite being tired and sore, the team cheered at Kurenai's suggestion.


End file.
